Dear Readers,

This week Momma’s favorite newspaper, the Star Tribune, printed a fun article entitled “Make it a Placation for Your Pet” with helpful tips about what do to with us while sheltering-in-place (“For heaven’s sake, Lina, can’t they just call it staying home?”).

What a great article.  The author begins by noting that training classes, agility trials and dog and cat shows are cancelled and we pets might be a little blue and needing activity.  So insightful.  The author goes on to say that pets may be weirded out by having their humans home all the time and might need help staying sane.  You think?  It’s as if the article was written with me in mind.  Look at me — I’m a basket case!

Despite the help offered by the paper (and despite the fun factor for me), Momma scoffed at most of the ideas.  They included:  teach your dog some tricks (“So yesterday, Lina”) and blow bubbles in the living room (“And who’s going to clean up that mess, Lina?”).  There was one that caught her attention, though:  train your dog to use the treadmill.  I know she wouldn’t want me woofing about this (it’s coming from the Strib and all), but she has considered it and even set me on the belt for awhile yesterday.  Here I am sizing up the idea.

The article also had helpful placation suggestions for humans. These were all dismissed out of paw, too.  Momma has absolutely no intention of watching free educational videos on pet body language, behavior, training and care at the FearFreeHappyHomes website (“What about a FearFreeHappyHour video instead, Lina?”) or discovering a new fantasy book series with great animal characters or characters who commune with animals (“We already have books about characters who commune with animals, Lina — they’re called Lina Unleashed and Sit Stay Pray“).  Okay, I officially give up.

In the meantime, I continue to make the best of my #safeathome “placation” with Momma.  We go for short walks, do a little agility training (“Better tell the Strib that our classes aren’t cancelled, Lina”), and the other day she even threw me a bone.

And luckily for me, we had company the other day!  My hysterically fun step sisters once removed, Tammy and Talla, came over for a pontoon ride.  If we get in trouble over this, please tell my hero, Governor Walz, that I had nothing to do with the social distancing.

Lina, Playing it by Ear

WOOFDA!